Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: The work presented in this dissertation addresses the optimization and application of a newly developed imaging modality, named photonic crystal enhanced microscopy (PCEM) for label-free detection of the surface attached biological samples. Photonic crystal, supporting guided-mode resonances and providing local optical modes, can enhance the light-matter interaction on its surface and thus used for label-free detection and biosensing. One dimensional photonic crystal surfaces are designed and utilized as a biosensor, and further integrated with an ordinary bright-field microscope. To demonstrate the validity of the photonic crystal biosensor, a three-dimensional modeling is developed and evaluated with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm to predict and visualize the electromagnetic field redistribution upon the device surface. Applications of the photonic crystal enhanced microscopy are carried out for live cell imaging, nanoparticle detection and protein-protein binding detection. First, labelfree detection for live cell with PCEM imaging system is performed. Three different cellular phenomena are involved in this study, including cell adhesion, cell migration and stem cell differentiation. A novel imaging analysis software is developed to dynamically track the cell plasma membrane evolution. This traction software reveals mass redistribution with high resolution during cell migration which is previously difficult to evaluate quantitatively. Furthermore, both dielectric and metallic nanoparticles are examined and proved to be detectable as label-free detection using PCEM imaging system. Another novel imaging analysis software is developed to automatically count the number of nanoparticles attached on the sensor surface within the imaging field of view. Finally, a newly developed detection modality for protein-protein binding is demonstrated through PCEM imaging system using nanoparticle as tags. This new detection modality can avoid the photobleach problem and may also hold the potential to detect ultra-low concentrations of protein in the future. In summary, photonic crystal biosensor and its associated imaging system with microscopy developed in this work show great promise to the label-free biosensing and bioimaging. Future work will extend the application of PCEM to broader research and application fields served as the next generation sensing modalities.
Author: Yue Zhuo
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2605814015